The Incoming OCD-10

WHO LogoThere’s truly no denying that America has a fundamental problem with its expectations of its healthcare system. Similarly, there’s little rational denial of the fact that ObamaCare won’t improve this and will only matters worse.

So now, of course, we’re about to be saddled with the OCD-10.

OK, it’s actually the ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, version 10), not the OCD-10, but it certainly looks to be an example of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder on the part of the World Health Organization (WHO). ICD-10 will increase the number of diagnostic available codes from approximately 17,000 in ICD-9 to over 155,000. If that’s not a case OCD, I don’t think I really want to know what it is.

There are many who wouldn’t this would be a problem, which is why a large part of why it’s been largely ignored outside of medical circles. The other reason being that the Lamestream Media is loath to add to the woes of Liberal politicians in an election year. Sadly, that ignorant majority is wrong; this is a problem, both financially and operationally.

For decades the US has used the WHO’s ICD as a way to standardize billing for medical procedures. Resultantly, medical practitioners have to use the proper codes in order to get reimbursed by health insurance companies or the government. These massive and largely nonsensical changes to the ICD will directly and adversely effect the operational efficiency of America’s entire healthcare industry.

AMA ICD10 Cost Chart
ICD-10 Cost Estimates By AMA

According to the American Medical Association (AMA) the costs to medical practitioners in terms of physician productivity losses, payment disruptions, training, testing, and practice assessments, as well as the implementation itself will be staggering…and, not the least bit surprisingly, drastically higher than earlier estimates.

The markedly higher implementation costs for ICD-10 place a crushing burden on physicians, straining vital resources needed to invest in new health care delivery models and well-developed technology that promotes care coordination with real value to patients. Continuing to compel physicians to adopt this new coding structure threatens to disrupt innovations by diverting resources away from areas that are expected to help lower costs and improve the quality of care.

— Ardis Dee Hoven, MD
President, American Medical Association

In the end it will the American people seeking medical attention that will bear the burden of these regulation-imposed costs, both in direct increases in their medical costs and in the loss of medical access due to smaller practitioners being driven out of business, the reduction in medical advances, and the natural self-protection instincts of medical practitioners who may well take more conservative approaches is treatment rather than risk not being reimbursed in a timely fashion, or at all, for expensive, aggressive procedures.

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Enslaving Doctors

ObamaCare Enslaves DoctorsThe shortage of doctors in America and both the impact that this will have on ObamaCare and the impact that ObamaCare will have on this growing shortage can only be resolved in one fashion – assuming, of course, that ObamaCare continues. The government must force medical professionals to accept any and all patients that the government decides upon. Nothing short of enslaving doctors to the will of the State will work.

This is also the only way to make a dent in the costs of healthcare in America. Stripping doctors of the liberty to decide upon which and how many patients to take on will allow the government to decide upon how much they will pay doctors for the services and what specific services, tests, procedures, and medications they will provide those patients.

The only questions are whether providing doctors to anyone and everyone is worth stripping medical professionals of the Constitutionally enumerated rights and which will be the next profession that the government determines must be enslaved for “general welfare.”

OK; there’s one final question – Why in the name of the Gods hasn’t the American people risen up, dragged any and all of the politicians who advocate this – and any families they might have – into the public square, and burned them to death?

~*~

Keep your eyes open. Travel light but load heavy, and always put another round in the enemy after they’re down. 😉

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